July 16, 2008
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Imagewest, the only full-service, student-run advertising and public relations agency in the
nation, recently spent four weeks in Malaysia working with its first international client and living at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).
As part of a partnership between Western Kentucky University and IIUM, the Imagewest International Team worked with the Communication Department at IIUM to design and launch a new website and create an opening video and backdrop for ICORM08, an International Conference on the Representation of Islam and Muslims in the Media. They designed web templates for the IIUM Information Technology Division.
The account team also developed a public relations plan to assist with marketing for the Internationalization and Innovation Division which is responsible for recruiting international and exchange students from around the world.
“I’m impressed with the work and performance level of Imagewest,” said Communication Department Head Azmuddin Ibrahim. “The team worked hard on the website for our department, and hopefully, after learning from their agency model, we’ll be able to establish our own student-run agency at IIUM.”
Imagewest conducted interactive workshops and lectures for students and faculty to attend. Topics included effective advertising, media planning and buying, developing an effective company profile, generating publicity through effective news release and feature articles, how to establish a student-run advertising and public relations agency, developing newsletters, and website design.
“I loved working with the students that attended the workshops, and they comprehended the material well even though English is not their first language,” said Heather Garcia, Imagewest agency manager. “The students were smart and fully engaged to learn whether it’s from material we presented or creative exercises they completed.”
Living on campus was a unique part of the experience. The team endured local life the same way regular students do at the university. They lived in the hostels with other students and shared the facilities such as restrooms, showers and washing machines as well as patronized the small convenience stores, food court and vendors across campus. The group formed many close relationships with students, faculty and staff throughout their stay.
“Our students are very fortunate to be a part of this amazing opportunity to further their education on an international level and immerse themselves into a different culture,” said Mark Simpson, associate professor of advertising in WKU’s School of Journalism and Broadcasting. “Aside from working on client projects, we explored many amazing places in Malaysia as well.”
Imagewest traveled to Teluk Cempedak Beach on the East Coast’s South China Sea, the historical town of Malacca, the Mini Asean Village, Putrajaya, and Port Dickson Beach on the West Coast. In and around Kuala Lumpur the team visited Petronas Towers, Batu Caves, the National Mosque, the Islamic Art Museum, and even hiked through the jungle at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM.) The team also visited Perception Management International, an international public relations and communication counseling firm and met with the president and other leaders of the Institute of Public Relations Malaysia (IPRM).
Student members of Imagewest International include Tori Burton of Fort Stewart, Ga., Katie Cecil of Louisville, Samantha Hughey of Crestwood, Kelly Scheurich of Louisville and Chelsey Shelton of Glasgow.
For more information, including blogs, videos and photos from the trip, visit www.imagewest.ning.com. More information about Imagewest is available online at http://www.wku.edu/imagewest.
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For information, contact Chelsey Shelton at (270) 590-4107 or Heather Garcia at (270) 745-2262.
-WKU-
"A leading American university with international reach"
Office of Media Relations
Western Kentucky University
1906 College Heights Blvd., Bowling Green, Ky. 42101-3576
Phone: (270)745-4295 - Fax: (270)7455387 - E-Mail: western@wku.edu